1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an apparatus for testing a semiconductor device. More particularly, example embodiments relate to an apparatus for testing a device having a high frequency characteristic. Example embodiments also relate to a method of fabricating and using the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, there are at least three processes used in manufacturing semiconductor devices. The first process is a fabrication process in which electric circuits (including electric elements) are formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g., a silicon wafer. The second process is an electrical die sorting (EDS) process for inspecting electrical characteristics of chips formed by the fabrication process. The third process is a packaging process for sealing the chips with a resin, e.g., epoxy.
In the EDS process, an electrical signal may be applied to a semiconductor device formed on a silicon wafer, and an output signal from the semiconductor device may be inspected to determine whether or not the semiconductor is defective. The EDS process may use a test apparatus including probes contacting pads of the semiconductor device directly.
The test apparatus may inspect a high frequency response, e.g., a high frequency characteristic, of a high frequency device. The high frequency device may process a high frequency in a range of several MHz to GHz bands. Examples of the high frequency device may be a resonator, a surface acoustic wave (SAW), and a duplex.
In a conventional test apparatus, a probe may be fixed by an epoxy resin to a printed circuit board connected to a cable. An electrical signal generated from a tester may be applied to the semiconductor device through the cable, the printed circuit board and the probe. A response of the semiconductor device may be obtained from an output signal of the semiconductor device to determine whether or not the semiconductor device is defective.
Because the probe may be fixed to the printed circuit board, distances between the probes may be uniform. Accordingly, the test apparatus may inspect a semiconductor device including pads having the same distances therebetween as those of the probes thereof. Therefore, different test apparatuses may be manufactured for semiconductor devices having different pad distances.
A conventional test apparatus may include various connection members for connecting the cable, a circuit line of the printed circuit board, and the probe to one another, and the connection members may include different materials. Thus, a resistance, a capacitance and an inductance due to the different materials of various connection members may occur. Furthermore, because the probe has a relatively long length of about 35 mm to about 40 mm, electromagnetic interferences (EMI) therebetween may occur.